People soon may be free to stroll the streets in Portland's Old Town nightlife district on weekend evenings.

The Portland City Council on Wednesday delayed a vote, but is expected to take action next week to expand the weekend night pedestrian zone in the entertainment district by closing two more streets in addition to Northwest Couch Street.

The changes, proposed by the Portland Police Bureau, could go into effect as soon as next weekend and would continue for two 90-day trial periods. Mayor Sam Adams instructed the police to begin the public notification process immediately.

The pedestrian zone expansion would mean that between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and specific major holidays, the following streets would be closed to cars, bicycles and skateboards:

Northwest Third Avenue from Burnside Street to Everett Street

Northwest Couch Street from Northwest Second Avenue to Fourth Avenue

Northwest Davis Street from Northwest Second Avenue to Fourth Avenue

The plan would establish dedicated taxi, limo and pedicab zones. There would be no parking allowed on the streets during closures - a loss of 68 parking spaces.

In a recent six-month period, the police received 533 calls for service from the proposed closure area. They believe that closing the streets to cars would lessen the number of service calls by reducing pedestrian conflicts with vehicles, people fighting after bumping each other on the sidewalk, illegal taxis and late-night damage to cars.

Adams pointed out that parked cars can impede the effectiveness of surveillance cameras. Removing the cars, he said, would help the police do their job.

"There are a lot of guns in this city," he said at one point, arguing that it was especially important for the additional street closures to be in effect in time for New Year's Eve.

Ryan Hashagen, owner of Portland Pedicabs, testified in favor of the expanded pedestrian zone. He was glad that cars would be blocked from Third Avenue. He said huge crowds of pedestrians currently spill into vehicle-choked Third Avenue.

Many of the cars now on Third Avenue are either looking for parking spots or cruising the scene, sometimes revving engines to impress potential dates, he said.

Carol McCreary, a neighborhood resident and member of the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association and PHLUSH, a public restroom advocacy group, said she worried about noise levels. She pointed out many residents of the area live in buildings without central air conditioning and keep their windows open in the summer. She was also concerned that Business Improvement District fees would rise in order to pay for the program.

The police do not plan to hire additional staff to work the area. The Portland Bureau of Transportation has agreed to pay for blockade assembly and disassembly during the first 90-day trial period, which is estimated to cost about $1,500 per week.

Howard Weiner, chair of the Old Town Chinatown Public Safety and Livability Committee, while broadly in favor of the pilot program, said that a lot of people in the neighborhood don't have a voice. They live in single-room occupancy hotels and are poor or in recovery, he said. Their needs, he said, should be balanced against the needs of the bars and restaurants.

He pointed out that daytime life in the neighborhood is becoming more vibrant, mentioning recent newcomers such as Mercy Corps, the University of Oregon and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.

He said he hoped that the implementation of the program would prompt discussions about ways to balance daytime life and night life in the neighborhood.

A police work group will review the first 90-day trial period, looking at issues such as parking, mobility and access, and will share its findings with the City Council.